Comfortable...

This will be Christmas Number Four up here. And every year, ever so very slowly, things get more and more comfortable. In reading Bill Bryson's "At Home" last night, the word "comfortable" wasn't even a part of the vocabulary of the home until the 1700's. Before that, at least in English, there was no concept of being "comfortable".  And I guess there was good reason for that: homes didn't really have a concept of comfort to them. It was just a place to try and stay warm, eat and sleep. And a place to keep "stuff". Drawers weren't invented until the mid-1600's; before that, people just kept their possessions in boxes.

1700's be damned, we are comfortable. The wood stove is working wonderfully. We have hot water on demand. The new pump isn't leaking too badly. We have separate rooms. The girls even have beds thanks to my dad. Our tree is up. Presents are wrapped. We have it good.

Yes, things have gotten pretty soft up here. Happy Christmas to all!